Flexible coupling



July 12, 1927.

w. E. TRUMPLER ET AL FLEXIBLE COUPLING File M 28. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTORS July 12, 1927. 1,635,565

w. E. TRUMPLER ET AL FLEXIBLE COUPLING Filed May 28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet2 WITNESSES: INVENTORS 5 =36 MV/fam E. Tr'ump/ercmd 3 W Car/ R'cfnraSade/"berg Patented Jul 12, 192 7,

' UNITED STATES PATENT omen.

WILLIAM E. :IJENMPLEE, 0E WILKINSBURG, AND CARL RICHARD SODERBERG, oE

EDGEWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MAN-U-FAGT'URING COMPANY, AconroRA'rIo OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELExIBLE coUPLING.

App1ication .ud May 28,

ing detrimental strains on the parts so cou- It is among the objects ofour invention to provide a flexible coupling which shall be adapted tocouple a. pair of rotating shafts to provide an unrestricted runningmotion with a minimum amount of wear on the shaft journals or bendingflexure on the shaft members.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a flexible coupling,which shall provide a certain amount-of flexibility for tangential,axial and radial forces exerted thereon' and which shall be so designedas to provide an amount of such flexibility in accordance with theparticular service requirements for which it is to'be utilized.

It'is a further object of our invention to provide a flexible couplingof the above-des ignated character which shall be of simple, compact anddurable mechanical construction comprising a minimum number of parts,which shall be inexpensive to construct, and. adapted to manufacture inproduction quantities.

It has previously been proposed to utllize rings for coupling membersbecause of theirsimple and rigid construction and because of theirflexibility. Such flexible ring structures have been proposed forflexible gear elements whichrequire only tangential deflection, but fora coupling member, radial and axial deflection must be provided as'Well.

We ment in conjunction with ball members which are located in sphericalseats provided in the rings to obtain tangential, axial and radialflexure, the proportions of the rings, spherical or ellipsoidal seats,and balls being such as to permit variation of the degree of flexibilityrequired for any given direction. In the accompanying drawingconstituting a art hereof, I

igure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a coupling member embodyingthe prin-' ciples of oar invention,

Fig. 2 is'a transversesection thereof taken along the lines II-II ofFig. 1

relates to couplings for propose toutilize a flexible ring ele' 1924.Serial No. 716,327.

Fig. 3 is a view,'partially in crosssection and partially. in elevation,of a coupling showing a modified form of sprin element,

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of s'ti 1- another modification of the springelement-,and

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a different seating portion for theball members. Referring to Fig. 1, a' coupling therein illustratedcomprises a air of complemen tary flanged hubs 1 having rings 2 securedthereto 'as by a plurality of screws 3. The

hubs" 1 are adapted to receive cylindrical shafts 4 of dynamo-electricmachines or other rotating elements which are co-operatively engaged foroperation. A center ring 5 having a relatively wide face is disposedwithin the rings 2 and the rings 2 and 5 are provided with spherical orellipsoidal grooves or seating portions 6 which are angularly spaced inradial alignment so that they The balls are inserted bydcflecting t erings sufliciently to force the balls into the spherical seats or theouter rings 2 may be heated to expand them sufficiently for that purose. 1 r

T e complementary seating orcup-shaped portions are preferably ofellipsoidal shape, that is, having less curvature in an axial directionthan radially as is illustrated in the figures of the drawing. Theellipsoidal shape will provide greater axial thantangential flexibility,which is highly desirable in flexible couplings.

The operation of this device is briefly as form complementary recessesfor 7 balls 7 which'are disposed therein.

follows: When atorque is applied to the coupling, the balls will run upon the sides of the spherical seats and produce a deflection of therings. For axial motion, the balls roll in a radial plane through theaxis of the-shaft and radial misalignment will produce tilting of thering 5 By providing cups with larger or smaller radii, any ratio of.radial and tangential deflection may be obtained. The rings and numberof balls may also be so proportioned that the deflection of the ringswill be such that one or more points between the ball seats will sustainno radial deflections so that the screw bolts 3 which secure the hubsand rings 1 and 2,. respectively, will transmit tangential load onlywithout being subjected to radial shearing stresses.

The spring characteristic for any deflection is a rising one, that is,there will be a relatively large deflection for low torque and lessdeflection for high torque transmission. The stresses in the materialsdo not increase as fast as the torsional load and therefore asubstantial overload may be carried without danger.

Guard members 8 are secured to the rings 2 to constitute grease chambersforcarrying lubricant which is essential to obtain a minimum rollingfriction and frictional wear as well as to protect the wearing elementsagainst foreign substances such as grit and irt. i

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the central ring or springmember 5, Figs. 1 and 2, is replaced by a radiallycorrugated springelement 10, Fig. 3 and an axially corrugated element 11, Fig. 4.

The radially corrugated member. 10 is provided with seats 6 for theballs 7 which are seated in apertures 6 of the outer rings 2.

The waved type of flexible member provides greater flexibility with aresulting decrease in the radial load on the balls 7. We have found thatthe flexibility of the member 10 is from three to five times that of thecircular ring 5, Fig. 1.

In the plane or cylindrical type of corrugated ring 11, the deflectionis materially increased over that of the ring 5' in about the sameproportion as in the member 10. The ball seats 6 may be ellipsoidal orelongated as shown in Fig. 5.

The assembly of the-balls and rings and the operation of the couplingsshown in Figs. 3 and 4, are similar to those of the coupling shown inFig. 1. I

It is evident from the foregoing description of our invention thatcoupling members made in accordance therewith provide a simple, compactstructure which is relatively small for the amount of torquetransmitted. as compared to the bulky construction of prior devices andthat such a eouplmg is efficient in its operation and not easilydestroyed since the several co-operatmg parts are of durable andmechanically strong design.

7 Although we have described a specific e1nbodiment of our invention, itwill be obvious to those skilled in the art J that various changes maybe made in the design and proportion of the several co-operating partswithout departing from the principles herein set forth. I

We claim as our invention:

1. A flexible coupling comprising a pair of complementary hub membershaving rings axially dis osed and secured thereto, a ring member isposedbetween said hub rings, and balls contained within apertures provided insaid rings.

2. Afiexible coupling comprising a pair of complementary hub membershaving rings axially disposed and secured thereto, a ring'member havinga relatively wide face disposed between said hub rings, and ballscontained within apertures provided in said rings.

3. A flexible coupling comprising a pair of axially disposedcomplementary ring members, a ring having a relatively wide facedisposed within said rings and balls disposed in apertures provided insaid rings to co-operatively engage'the same.

4. A flexible coupling comprising a pair of axially disposedcomplementary ring members, a ring having a relatively wide facedisposed within said rings, all of said rings having apertures providedtherein and balls disposed within said apertures to l(o-operativelyengage the said ring memers. I

5. A flexible coupling comprising a pair of axially disposedcomplementary ring members, a ring having a relatively wide facedisposed within said rings, all of said rings having spherical seatsprovided therein and balls disposed within said seats to cooperativelyengage the said ring members.

6. A flexible coupling comprising a pair a relatively wide face and adouble row of spherical seatsfor registering with the seats of saidcomplementary rings and balls dis posed in said seats to co-operativelyengage all of said rings.

8. A flexible coupling comprising a pair of complementary ring membershaving spherical seating portions in the inner periphery thereof, a cooperating ring having I a relatively wide face and a double row ofspherical eats for registering with the seats of said complementaryrings and guards to protect said balls and seats from foreign matter. I

9. A flexible coupling comprising a plurality of complementary ringmembers, a flexible element disposed therein and balls co-operativelyengaging said ring members and said flexible element.

10. A flexible coupling comprising a plurality of complementary ringmembers, a flexible element disposed therein and extending axially inallnement with said rings ralit of complementary ring members, .a flexile element disposed therein, and balls co-operatively engaging said ringand flexi ble members, said balls being arranged in transverse planes.

12. A flexible colipling comprising a pluralit of complementary ringmembers, a flexi 1e element disposed therein and balls co-operativelyengaging said ring and flexible members, said balls being arranged intransverse planes in alinement with said complementary rings.

13. A flexible coupling comprising a plurality of complementary ringmembers, a flexible element disposed therein and balls l co-operativelyengaging said ring and flexible members, said balls being arranged intwo transverse planes in alinement with said complementary rings.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto 20 subscribed ournames this 21stday of May,

WILLIAM E. TRUMPLER. CARL RICHARD SODERBERG.

